Education: Priorities v. Schools

This month 31,566,000 U.S. citizens, big & small, go to school160,000
fewer than last year. Despite this record decline in total school
population (resulting from the declining birth rate), school officials
in Washington last week bemoaned the worst overcrowding of schools in
U.S. history. Reason: a major shift of the population to
defense-production centers.

Cases in point are Omaha and the District of Columbia. Omaha schools
have a seating capacity and normal enrollment of 6,000; this month,
thanks to a new Glenn Martin plant, they have 7,778 additional pupils
and no place to put them. Washington has at least 7,000 newcomers....